Summer/Spring Italian Lemonade.
Ingredients.
- 1 bunch fresh basil, washed and stemmed.
- 1 cup granulated monk fruit, stevia or xylitol.
- 1 cup water.
- 2 cup lemon juice, about 12 to 15 lemons.
- 2 cup cold or sparkling water.
- For the basil simple syrup: In a saucepan, combine basil, 1 cup sweetner (monk fruit), and 1 cup water and simmer until the sugar is dissolved, 5 minutes. Cool, strain, and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- For the lemonade: Mix lemon juice, basil simple syrup, and 2 cups cold or sparkling water together in a pitcher. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
*Note: xylitol may cause bloating and is toxic to animals (dogs). Also, it has a very short afterlife so it is best to use stevia or monk fruit powder.
